Originally appeared on E! Online

When Ariana Grande , Cynthia Erivo , Jonathan Bailey and the rest of the " Wicked " cast was assembled, they were well aware they were gonna be pop-u-lar.

Stream NBC10 Boston news for free, 24/7, wherever you are. WATCH HERE

After all, the self-professed musical theater nerds had come of age listening to the music from the original 2003 Broadway debut (based on Gregory Maguire's fairly dark 1995 best seller of the same name).

"It was always something that brought me great comfort and happiness," Grande explained to Entertainment Weekly ahead of "Wicked's" 2024 release. "I would listen to it when I was nervous for something or sad about something. It was always a safe space for me."

Well-versed in the tale of how green-skinned heroine El

See Full Page